The weather was beautiful today here in New Jersey, and everyone on the block was outside, trying to make the most of it.

One neighbor had his convertible top down and rolled into his driveway, music blaring. The volume was so loud that I could hear the drum beat and bass line thumping in my house. The Judge Judy in my head nudged me: Kids today! How rude!

But in truth, the thing is, he’s trying to be heard, albeit in a way that may not be well-received by those around him. He likes that song. He can afford that nice car. He thinks he has good taste in general, and he wants to be known for that.

Another neighbor was outside, blow-drying her lawn. Now, I know the term should be “leaf-blowing,” but the thing is, there’s not a leaf in sight. She primped her yard all day long and that constant, high-pitched whir really got under my skin. The Judge Judy in me barked: You’ve proved your point! You’ve got a lot of time and money on your hands, so you spend it all on your fabulous yard. Congrats! But the thing is, it’s her money. It’s her yard. Her landscaping isn’t directed toward me as a slap in the face, even if I might choose to receive it that way.

On the block behind mine, kids were playing tag in the street, screaming at the top of their lungs. Normal, you say? Well, the thing is, even though they were playing, the screams were blood-curdling, as if someone was in danger. They “play-screamed” things such as, “No! Stop! Help! Get off me! You’re killing me!!!”

Once I saw their father coming outside, I thought he’d put an end to these heart-wrenching screams. Instead, he just joined in! Now he was “play-screaming,” too! The Judge Judy in me shook her head: A mother would never do that! But perhaps she would. And maybe this is just how they express themselves. The thing is, I could spin it in my mind to say, At least the kids are outside on a beautiful day, and their father is spending time with them.

The thing is, it’s a big world, and there is a wonderful way for me to share it with all my neighbors: knock off the stone-throwing and the nit-picking and focus on the bountiful blessings in my own life. And, while I’m at it, I’d better put the Judge Judy in my head on mute.

Have a Mary Little Christmas

4 comments

I wouldn’t be too hard on yourself. The older I get the more I find I can’t tolerate so much noise. In fact, my head is so noisy inside most of the time that, like my friend Bean whom I just wrote about, I hardly ever listen to music with words anymore!

I always have to guard my mind from being critical of others. Very often, I find myself wanting to point a finger and go tsk-tsk at folks. Or give them the “for shame” look. Not that I actually do. Then again, maybe I do, but don’t realize it. Aye. When God gets my attention again, I realize that I’m having stinkin’ thinkin’ again and most likely cuz other people are having fun, when I’m not. Thanks for this great reminder, Ruth.

I hear ya, In. This was pretty unusual for me, in that I usually catch myself after the first moment of judgey-ness, but for some reason, it was a while before I got the idea. It doesn’t change anything to smolder. Just makes me frustrated, which – thankfully – I finally figured out!